Recording mechanism.



E. H. SCHAEFER.

RECORDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED .IULY9. 1914.

Patented June 20, 1916.

Inventor Witnesses Atto rney COLUMBIA PMNOORAPH 110-. WASHING outrun STATES PATENT orrion.

EDWARD H. SCI-IAEFER, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

RECORDING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 20, 1916.

Application filed July 9, 1914. Serial No. 849,994.

of this application is adapted to be employed.

for indicating the number of articles which pass a given point during a given period of time, the number of articles being indicated by a suitable mechanism and proper markings being made upon a time actuated dial, to the end that it may be ascertained at a glance, percisely what hour of the day most articles pass by a given point.

The invention may be employed in connection with a plurality of articles passing down a chute, it may be used in connection with a turn stile, and under many other conditions which will suggest themselves readily to the user. j

\Vith the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made with in the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 shows in vertical longitudinal section, the indicating and registering mechanism forming the subject matter of this application; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a f'ragmental longitudinal section of the stylus holder; Fig. l is an elevation illustrating a modified form of electrically operated means for controlling the indicating and registering mechanism.

In carrying out the present invention and referring particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 8, there is provided a box-like case 1 which at its front may be equipped with a door 2 mounted on the case by means of hinges 3 and held closed by any suitable locking mechanism indicated diagrammatically and conventionally in Fig. 2 by the reference character l. The door 2 carries an upper transparent plate 5 and a lower transparent plate 6.

Located within the case 1, as shown in Fig 1, is a supporting frame comprising an upright 7 which may be attached to the bottom of the case 1, and platforms 8 which extend rearwardly from the upright 7. Held 1;

between the platforms 8 is a solenoid magnet 9, the terminals of the winding of which are connected to binding posts 10 located on the upper platform 8 or otherwise mounted, the binding posts 10 receiving conductors 11 constituting a part of an electrical circuit whereby the solenoid 9 is energized. Mounted to reciprocate in the solenoid 9 1s a core 12 which may include an upright spindle 1 1 having projections 15 between which is received one end of a lever 16 fulcrumed on a bracket 17 carried by the up per end of the upright 7. Attached to the outer end of the lever 16 are spring arms 18 supporting a stylus holder embodying a tube 19.

The stylus holder is shown in detail in Fig. 3 and the tube 19 of the stylus holderat one end is diminished in diameter to form a restricted stylus guiding throat 20, the stylus being indicated at 21 and being in the form of a pencil, crayon or other element adapted to leave a mark. Located within the tube 19 and bearin adjacent their free ends upon opposite sides of the stylus 21 are spring arms 22, terminally secured to j the interior of the tube 19. These arms 22 hold the stylus 21 in place for longitudinal sliding movement. The rear end of the stylus 21 abuts against a plate 23 receiving a compression spring 24: abutting as the plate 25 is actuated by a screw 26 threaded into the end of the tube 19. The stylus 21 is adapted to record on a dial 27 which may be made of paper, card board or the like. The dial 27 is mounted on the arbor 28 of a clock 29, the arbor 28 including a hub plate 28 which bears against the rear face of the dial 27 and there being a. nut 30 threaded onto the end of the arbor, the nut bearing against the dial to the end that the dial may rotate when the arbor rotates under the action of the time driven mechanism 29. Supported by the casing of the clock 29 is a back plate 31 for the dial 27, the backing plate, if desired, overhanging the periphery of the dial 27, as shown at 32.

Extended transversely through the lower end of the core 12 is a pin 33. A weight 34 is shown, the same comprising arms 35 mounted on the ends of the pin 33. In the lower end of the core 12 there is formed a slot 36 across which the pin 33 extends. Projecting into the slot 36 is the slotted head 38 of a lever 37, the pin 33 being loosely received in the slotted head 38 to the end that the lever 37 may tilt when a right line movement is imparted to the core 12. Intermediate its ends the lever 37 is fulcrumed on a bracket 39 preferably carried by the upright 7. The lower end of the lever 37 extends slidably between projections 40 formed on the end of a plunger 41 constituting a part of the actuating mechanism of a counter 42 of standard form, the same including a dial 43. The dial 43 of the counter is visible through the transparent plate 0 and the time driven dial 27 is visible through the transparent plate 5. driven dial 27 may be graduated in any suitable manner as indicated at 44 in Fig. 2.

The structure above described may be placed upon the desk of an administrative oflicer or in any other suitable location and any suitable mechanism may be provided wvhereby, as an article passes a given point,

the circuit embodying the conductors 11 may be closed. \Vhen the circuit is closed, the solenoid 9 will be energized, raising the core 12 and tilting the lever 37. When the lever 37 is tilted, the plunger 41 will be actuated and the passage of an article with respect to a specified point will be indicated on the dial 43 of the counter 42. In'this manner, the number of articles which have passed a given point will be rendered visible at a glance.

lVhen the core 12 is raised, the latter through the instrumentality of the spindle 14 will tilt the lever 16 on its fulcrum 17 and move the stylus 21 upon the time driven dial 27, a radial mark, indicated at 45, being made upon the dial. So soon as the circuit embodying the winding of the magnet 9 and the conductors 11 is broken, the core 12 will drop, due to the action of the weight 34, and the outer end of the lever 16 will be raised, the spring arms 18 serving to maintain the stylus 21 in contact with the time driven dial 27.

Each time the lever 16 is actuated, a radial mark will be made on the dial 27, and by comparing these marks with the graduations 44, the number of times that the magnet 9 has been energized during any given period if time may be ascertained, and an accurate The time count as to the number of articles delivered may be ascertained from the dial 43 of the counter 42.

From the foregoing it will be observed that a person located at some distance from the work will. be advised at a glance as to the progress thereof and as to the industry of those engaged in the work.

A solenoid magnet need not be used. In Fig. 4 there is shown an ordinary electromagnet 102 having a fixed core. A swinging arm 103 is pivotally supported as shown at 104 and carries an armature 106 responsive to the. magnet 102, the arm 103 being adapted to coact with a fixed stop 105. Pivotcd at 107 on the arm 103 is a rod 108 mounted to reciprocate in a guide 109, the rod 108 being operatively connected with a lever 1.10 corresponding to the lever 16. The lower end of the rod 108 is operatively connected with a lever 11.1 corresponding to the lever 37. The operation of the structure outlined in Fig. 4 will be understood clearly by those skilled in the art and various other arrangements may be made, rendering unnecessary the use of the solenoid structure depicted in Fig. 1.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is In a recording mechanism; a dial; means for supporting the dial for rotation; means for rotating the dial; a lever fulcrumed to swing in a plane at right angles to the plane of rotation of the dial and extended across the edge of the dial; a stylus coiiperating with the dial; a spring arm attached to one end of the lever and extended substantially parallel to the dial, the stylus being carried by the spring arm and thelatter being adapted to yield in a plane at right angles to the dial to permit the stylus to bear on the dial continuously when the lever is tilted, the spring arm comprising a plurality of apl iroximately parallel members coacting to form. a double support for the stylus; and means for operating the lever.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD H. SCHAEFER.

\Vitnesses HENRY STANKER, OTTO GUILING.

logic: of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

